A DANGEROUS PEST 19 



The former of the two species conveys dengue 

 fever and the latter yellow fever ; both, therefore, 

 are dangerous pests. It may be argued that there 

 is no dengue nor yellow fever in the town, and 

 therefore there is no need, nor is it justifiable, to 

 spend public money in preventing these mosquitos. 

 But is it certain that these two diseases do not exist 

 in the locality ? 



The doctors should be interrogated. It is prob- 

 able that there is fever prevailing in the summer. 

 The children may be suffering from slight fever in 

 the hot weather. Information on this point can be 

 obtained from the schools. It may be called sun 

 fever, or influenza. Perhaps a factory has been 

 closed in the hot season because the men are sick. 

 If inquiries are made it will be found that few towns 

 in warm climates can claim an absolutely clean bill 

 of health all the year round. Port Said, five years 

 ago, before the mosquito campaign was started, was 

 said to be free from malaria. But the town was 

 admitted to be unhealthy ; its name was a byword. 

 And then, on inquiry, it was found that, every 

 summer, people men, women and children, Euro- 

 pean and native used to contract fever. In reality 

 there was fever of short duration four, five, ten 

 days' fever, followed by weakness and lassitude. 

 Children were frequently ill. A mother would say 

 that the baby was tired and fatigue ; she was obliged 

 to keep it in bed for twelve days in a stuffy bedroom. 

 Then such schools as existed in those days were 

 frequently empty in the hot weather. The men in 



